The course of treatment for ovarian cancer is normally determined by the stage of the disease. We here classify the stages from I to IV based on the cancer’s specific characteristics, and find out which course is suitable for which stage.
By stage I, we mean the cancer is confined to a single ovary (stage IA) or both ovaries (stage IB). In stage IC, one or both ovaries can be affected, but the tumors are on the surface, or the capsule is ruptured, or tumor cells are found in abdominal fluid.
Treatment for patients with stage IA and IB includes surgical removal of the uterus and both ovaries and fallopian tubes, partial removal of the omentum, and surgical staging of the lymph nodes and other tissues in the pelvis and abdomen. Patients with stage IA or B disease may not require further therapy after surgery. Higher risk patients with stage IC are generally treated with platinum-based chemotherapy to prevent a relapse.
Stage II means the cancer has spread to the uterus or fallopian tubes (stage IIA), or other areas within the pelvis (stage IIB), but is still confined to the pelvic area. Stage IIC means capsular involvement, rupture, or positive washings. Surgical management for patients in this stage involves a total hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and removal of as much cancer in the pelvic area as possible, known as tumor debulking. Post-surgery chemotherapy is generally needed to eliminate residual cancer and prevent relapse.
Stage III means the cancer has spread beyond the pelvis to the omentum and other areas within the abdomen, or to the lymph nodes. Most patients in this stage undergo a total hysterectomy, and tumor debulking. Here again, post-surgery chemotherapy is needed to eliminate residual cancer.
Stage IV, the most advanced of all, means the cancer may have spread to the inside of the liver or spleen. In this stage, tumor debulking before chemotherapy may be occasionally performed.
In the case of recurrent ovarian cancer, chemotherapy is the mainstay of treatment, although it might not prevent subsequent relapses.
Related Articles of Interest :
-
Ovarian Cancer Stages
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
By the stage of a cancer we try to express how far the disease has spread. It is crucial, as treatment is mostly decided depending on the stage of a cancer. For ovarian cancer, doctors use a simple I-IV staging system called the FIGO (International...
-
Stage 4 Ovarian Cancer
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Ovarian cancer is a gynecologic sarcoma, which is second most frequently diagnosed. In the United States, females have a 1.4 % to 2.5 % chance of developing ovarian cancer. The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), has standardized the staging of gynecological cancers. It...
-
Ovarian Cancer
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Ovarian cancer begins in the cells that form the ovaries. Among these cells are surface epithelial cells, germ cells, and the sex cord-stromal cells. This is why cancer cells that metastasize from other organ sites to the ovary are not called ovarian cancer. Breast and...
-
Ovarian Cancer Mortality Rate
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Mortality rate refers to the number of people dying due to a particular affliction. Ovarian cancer is a predominantly destructive cancer and is rarely detected in its early stages. It is the gynecological cancer with the highest mortality rate. Ovarian cancer is the fourth leading...
-
Mesothelioma Treatments
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved Alimta (pemetrexed disodium) for use in combination with cisplatin for the treatment of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. It is the first drug approved for this condition. Mesothelioma treatment can involve surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination...
-
Lung Cancer Treatment
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
The most commonly used treatments for lung cancer are surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. The exact treatment a lung cancer patient receives will depend on several factors. These include the type of cancer, the stage or extent to which it has spread at the time of...
-
Prostate Cancer Treatments
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
The principle function of the prostrate gland is to secrete seminal fluid, a nutrient for sperm, and eject it into the urethra during ejaculation. As it ages it can become cancerous without any specific cause. For prostrate cancer, this process is commonly a slow one....
-
Ovarian Cancer Prognosis
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Epithelial carcinoma of the ovary or Ovarian cancer is one of the most common gynecologic diseases. It is serious and has a very high mortality rate. It is the fifth most frequent cause of cancer death in women. It is most common in women above...
-
Lung Cancer Stages
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Cancers are staged depending on how far they have spread. Staging a cancer correctly is essential to select the most appropriate treatment option. A number of diagnostic tests, such as CT scans, MRIs, bronchoscopy, blood tests, bone scans, and biopsies are used to find out...
-
Colon Cancer Treatment
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Colon cancer is a very dominant kind of cancer that has an occurrence rate only second to lung cancer. Research has been done for several years in an attempt to find treatment methods for colon cancer. Today, there are three common kinds of treatment for...